Aim of the study: To describe the epidemiology, longitudinally follow, test the effect of early antiretroviral treatment and investigate early events of virus-host interactions in patients with documented acute or recent HIV-1 infection in Zurich.

Study design: This is an open label, non-randomized, observational, single center study at the University Hospital Zurich, Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology. We aim at enrolling approximately 300 patients over a 10 year period. All patients who fulfill the inclusion criteria of a documented acute or recent HIV infection can participate in the study. Patients are offered early combination antiretroviral treatment (cART), if treatment start falls within 90 days after diagnosis of acute HIV-infection. After one year of suppressed HIV-plasma viremia (< 50 copies/ml) patients can chose to stop cART. Patients who have not chosen to undergo early-cART, respectively will stop cART after one year will be followed for a total of 5 years. Viral setpoints reached after treatment interruptions will be compared to historic controls and to the control group not having received cART during acute infection. A battery of virological and immunological assays will be performed on blood samples obtained to better understand early virus-host interactions, which are thought to play a key role in HIV-pathogenesis research.

Summary: In summary, this study will provide comprehensive knowledge on early HIV-infection with regard to epidemiology, impact of early-cART on the course of disease and forms the base for a variety of translational research projects addressing early key pathogenesis events between virus and host, relevant for the course of disease, for transmission, for development of vaccines and new treatment strategies.

Documented acute HIV-1 infection, however, referral to our center more than 90 days after presumed date of infection.

Exclusion criteria:

Hemoglobin < 10 g/dl (men) and < 9 g/dl (women) at the time of enrollment.

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Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00537966